Automobile.



PATENTBD JUNE 27, 1905.

F. E. GROUT. AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT EEicE.

AUTOMOBILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,437, dated June 2'7, 1905.

Application filed July 14, 1904. Serial No. 216,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. GROUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county ofFranklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automobiles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompasion which opens in a direction toward which the automobile is traveling, so that the force of the air entering said extension causes a sufficient draft in the draft-tube, it is unnecessary to employ the steam-jet for thus ind ucing draft while the automobile is moving forwardly, and said steam-jet therefore is of use only when the vehicle is at rest.

Usually the steam-jet is controlled by a suitable valve which must be operated independently when it is desired to turn on or shut off the steam, and Whenever the automobile is stopped and it is desired to maintain the draft the operator has to open the valve controlling the steam-jet in addition to closing the throttle-valve, applying the brake, shutting off the burner, &c.

In my present improvement I have provided means for connecting the valve controlling the steam-jet to the controlling mechanism for the automobile, whereby the operation of closing the throttle-valve to the boiler will open the steamjet valve, thus doing away with the necessity of a special operation to accomplish the latter object.

My improved device is soconstructed that while normally the steam-jet valve is operated in unison with the controlling mechanism for the automobile, yet it may be operated independently and by hand, if desired.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the front part of an automobile having my improvements applied thereto, the parts being broken out to better show the construction. Figs. 2, 3, 4E, and 5 are details hereinafter referred to, Fig. 3 being in section on the line 00 m, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: a section on the line 3/ y, Fig. 2.

I have illustrated my improvements applied to the type of automobile shown in Patents N o. 7 37,399, granted to Charles E. Grout, and No. 761,295, granted to myself, wherein the boiler is located at the front of the vehiclebody and is covered by a suitable hood.

In the drawings, 3 designates a boiler of any suitable or usual construction havinga burner I beneath the same, and 5 designates the usual bonnet on top of the boiler, into which the products of combustion pass, said bonnet being connected to the usual downturned draft-tube 6, through which the products of combustion escape. The boiler is covered by a hood or casing 7.

8 designates the throttle-valve which controls the supply of steam from the boiler to the pipe 9, said latter pipe extending to the engine. (Not shown.) Said throttle-valve may be operated in any suitable or usual way, and for this purpose I have illustrated the mechanism described and claimed in the abovementioned patent, No. 737,399, wherein the valve-stem 10 is connected to an arm 11, fast on a rock-shaft 12, which shaft has fast thereon another arm 13, connected by a link 14 with the controlling wheel 15, said latter wheel being mounted to slide vertically on the stem 16 of the steering-wheel 17, so that when the controlling-wheel is raised the throttle-valve will be opened. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the throttle-valve is closed.

The jet-pipe which induces the steam-jet into the draft-tn be 6 is designated by 18, and it is controlled by a suitable valve 19, which I will for convenience hereinafter refer to as the steam-jet valve. Said valve is connected to the boiler 3 by any suitable pipe 20.

As above stated, I have provided suitable connections between the steam-jet valve and the controlling mechanism so that said valve and the throttle-valve will be operated in unison, but oppositely that is, when the throttle-valve is opened the steamjet valve is closed, and vice versa. One mechanism for accomplishing this is illustrated in the drawings and comprises an arm 21, fast on the rock-shaft 12 and having connected thereto one end of a link 22, which has its other end connected to an arm 23 on the valve-stem of the steam-jet valve. IVith this construction it will be seen that when the shaft 12 is rocked such motion will be transmitted to the valvestem of the steam-jet valve and the latter will be turned. I have also provided means whereby the steam-jet valve can be operated independently from the controlling means, if desired. As herein shown, the valve-stem of the steam-jet valve is in sections, one part 24 being connected directly to the valve proper and the other part 25 having thereon a handle 26, by means of which it can be manually operated. The section 24 telescopes into the end of the section 25, as seen in Fig. 5, and has a pin 26 operating in a slot 27 in said part 25. Fast on the part 24 is a collar or member 28, having a concentric slot 29 therein, and playing in'said slot is a pin 30, fast at one end to the arm 23, to which the link 22 is connected. The arm 23 is provided with a polygonal socket in which a polygonal portion 32 of the stem 25 is adapted to be received, whereby the stem 25 and arm 23 are locked together for turning movement. Said stem 25 is slidably mounted in the arm, and the length of the slot 27 is such as to permit said stem to be pushed inwardly or to the right, Figs. 2 and 5, sufficiently to disengage the polygonal portion 32 from its socket. When the parts are in this position, the stem 25 can be freely turned in the arm 23, and the valve 19 can therefore be operated by the handle 26 independently of the controlling means. A suitable spring 37, confined between a collar 38 on the stem 25 and the member 28, serves normally to maintain the stem locked to the arm 25. With this construction it will be seen that the rocking of the shaft 12 by means of the controlling-wheel 15 operates not only to actuate the throttle-valve 8, but also actuates the steam-jet valve 19. Said valve 19 is so constructed that it is closed by the downward swinging movement of the arm 23 and opened by the opposite movement thereof.

For inducing a forced draft without the aid of the steam-jet when the vehicle is moving forwardly I make an opening 40 in the top of the hood or casing 12 and cover said opening by a forwardly-extending hood 41, which catches the air and directs it through the opening 40, as shown by the arrows. The bonnet 5 is provided with the downwardly-curved extension 42, which directs the air entering the opening 40 through the passage 43 behind said extension. The current of air passing through this passage creates a suction in the bonnet, and therefore gives sufficient draft for the proper operation of the burner.

. I may, if desired, make my draft-tube with 5 the rearwardly-directed extension 44, which is provided with a suction-inlet 45, as in my Patent No. 761,295.

While I have herein illustrated one way of accomplishing the results desired, I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction set forth, as parts may be varied without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, what claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automobile, a boiler, a draft-tube to conduct the products of combustion away from the boiler, a throttle-valve, operating means therefor, means to deliver a steam-jet to the drafttube, a steam-jet valve controlling the steam-jet, said steam-jet valve having a sectional valve-stem, one section of which is rigid with the steam-jet valve,-an arm normally locked to the other section of said valvestem but capable of being disconnected therefrom, and connections between said arm and the operating means for the throttle-valve.

2. In an automobile, a boiler, a draft-tube to conduct products-of combustion away from the boiler, a throttle-valve, operating mean-s therefor, a steam-jet pipe in the draft-tube, a steam-jet valve in said pipe, said steam-jet valve having a sectional valve-stem, one section of which is provided with a flat-sided portion, and the other section of which is connected to the steam-jet valve, an arm mounted on the first section and having a flat-sided socket in which the flat-sided portion of said section is normally received, and means connecting said arm with the operating means for the throttle-valve.

3. In an automobile, a boiler situated at the front of the vehicle, a downturned drafttube to conduct products of combustion away from the boiler, a th rottle-val-ve, a rock-shaft to which said throttle-valve is connected, a steam-jet pipe leading to the draft-tube, a steam-jet valve in said pipe, normally operative connections between-said steam-jet valve and the rock-shaft, and manual means to render said connections inoperative whereby the steaim-jet valve may be independently operate 4. In an automobile, a boiler, a bonnet covering said boiler, a draft-tube connected with the bonnet, a casing inclosing the bonnet and boiler, said casing being partitioned to pro' vide a chamber above the bonnet, which chamber is connected to the draft-tube, said chamber having an opening in its upper side, and a hood covering said opening and directed toward the front of the vehicle.

5. In an automobile, a boiler, a draft-tube to conduct products of combustion away from the boiler, a throttle-valve, a rock-shaft by which said throttle-valve is operated, means to deliver-a steam-j et to the draft-tube, a steamjet valve to control said means, normally operative connections between said steam-jet valve and the rock-shaft, and manually-operated means to render said connections inoperative, whereby the steam-jet valve may be manipulated either independently-from the throttle-valve or in connection therewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FREDERICK E. GROUT.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE R. GRAY, CHAS. H. EGER. 

